Knockdown box.



O. NEUBEL.

V KNOOKDOWN BOX.

APPLICATION FILED 1111, 1911.

1,041,333, Patented Oct. 15, 1912.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1. T71 :1 1 v v INVENTOR COLUMBIA PLANDGRAFH CO.,\VASHINOTON. D. c.

Tr ton.

CARL NEUBEL, 0F RISING CITY, NEBRASKA.

KNOCKDOWN BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 15,1912.

Application filed December 1, 1911. Serial No. 663,268.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL NEUBEL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rising City, in the county of Butler and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Knockdown Boxes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in knock down boxes and more particularly to a collapsible or foldable crate or coop particularly adapted to be used for shipping or showing poultry.

The object of my invent-ion is to so form the parts of my improved coop that the same may be folded so as to occupy a minimum space when it is desired to ship said coop, when empty.

A further object of my invention is to provide the coop with a display side, through which the poultry, etc. may be viewed.

A still further object of my invention is to provide closures for said display side, through which pans or other receptacles containing food or water for the poultry may be passed into the coop.

A still further object of my invention is to provide means whereby'the adjoining sections of the coop may be securely locked together, and,

A still further object is to provide means for reinforcing the corners of the sections forming my collapsible coop or crate.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be hereafter made clearly apparent in the specification and pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown the preferred form which my invention may take.

In said drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of my complete coop. Fig. 2is a transverse sectional view therethrough, showing the front, rear and top walls of the coop partially folded and also showing by dotted lines the normal positions of said walls. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional View, showing the preferred manner of securing adjoining sections of the coop together. Fig. 4. is an enlarged detail view of one corner of one of the sections forming the coop, showing the manner of reinforcing the same. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view through the complete coop, and, Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view therethrough.

Referring to the drawings in which similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, 7 is the base of my improved coop, which may be formed of wood or any other preferred suitable material.

Secured to the front and rear of the coop are frames 8 and 9, respectively, the frame 8 being of greater height than the frame 9, as will be hereinafter more clearly set forth The frame 8 is provided with a plurality of vertically arranged strengthening strips 10, which also serve as supports for the winged nuts 11, the wings on said nuts, when turned in horizontal positions, being of such a length as to extend beyond the edges of said strips 10, so that closures 12 may be secured in place. The closures 12 are removable so that pans or' other receptacles may be placed in the coop, when desired.

The front of the coop comprises a frame 13, which is pivotally secured at its inner edge to the frame 8 and screen material 14;

is preferably secured to said frame 13, so that the contents of the coop may be readily inspected. As shown in the drawings, the screen material 14 has openings therein adapted to be closed by gates 15, which are also preferably formed of screen material.

The top, ends and back of the coop are preferably formed of frames comprising end and side members, which are covered upon their outer sides with sheets of material, which may consist of galvanized iron, can vas, or other desired suitable material. In order to strengthen the frames, the inner surface of the ends of the frame are clamped together by means of strips 15, secured in place by means of rivets 16 or in any other desired manner. The top of the coop is adapted, when in use, to rest upon the upper edges of the front, back and ends of the coop and is pivotally secured to the inner upper edge of the front by means of hinges 16.

The ends of the coop are preferably formed of two sections 17 and 18, which are hingedly secured together at their outer adjoining edges, as shown at 19, so that the upper section 18 may be folded back upon the lower section 17, as clearly shown in Fig. 5. The lower section 17 is hingedly,

secured at its inner lower edge to the base 7, as clearly shown in Fig. 5. The back of the coop is also preferably formed in two sections 20 and 21, which are hingedly secured at their inner adjoining edges, as shown at 22, so that the upper section 21 may be folded inwardly against the lower section 20. The lower section 20 is hingedly secured at its inner edge to the upper edge of the frame 9. lVhen the ends and the back of the coop are placed in operative positions, the upper edges thereof will be of the same height as the front 13 of the coop.

The frames of the front, back, ends and top of my coop are all of the same thickness and I therefore form the frame 9 so that its height will be three times the thickness of one of the frames and also form the frame 8 so that its thickness will be five times the thickness of one of the frames, for a purpose hereinafter more clearly set forth.

In order that the parts of the coop may be locked in operative position, I secure to v the upper inner edges of the frames of the ends and back, one section of a hasp 28, which is adapted to cooperate with staples 24 secured to the inner surface of the frame of the top. In order to lock the hasps in cooperation with staples 2%, I preferably employ spring snaps 25, and in order to prevent mlsplacement of said sprmg snaps, I

' secure the same to the ends and back by means of chains 26, as clearly shown in Fig.

3. When the coop is of considerable length and it is desired to divide the same into compartments, I provide a partition conof the coop is then folded downwardly against the inner side of the front of the coop and said front folded downwardly so as to rest upon the upper surface of the back. All the sections of the coop will then rest in horizontal positions and will occupy a mimmum space.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that I have provided a shipping crate which may be very cheaply constructed and which, when in operative position, will possess great strength and rigidity. It will also be seen that the sections forming the crate or coop may be folded one upon the other so as to occupy minimum space.

\Vhile I have shown and described my invention as particularly adapted for use as a coop, I desire it to be understood that the frame sections 8 and 13 may also be covered with sheet material to form a shipping box or crate.

\Vhile I have shown the preferred form which my invention may take, I desire it to be understood that certain modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention.

WVhat I claim as new is:

V A crate comprising the combination with a base; of frames projecting upwardly from the front and rear edges of said base, sectional ends hingedly secured to the ends of said base and adapted to be folded thereagainst between the frames, the sections of the ends being secured together by hori zontal hinges along the upper end lower edges of the lower and upper sections respectively of each end, a vertical sectional partition hingedly secured to said base about one-third the length thereof and adapted to be folded thereagainst between the sectional ends, a back hingedly secured to the frame disposed at the back of said base and adapted to be folded upon said sectional ends and partition when said ends and partition are in their folded positions, a fronthingedly secured to the frame disposed at the front of said base, a top hingedly secured tothe upper inner edge of said front, said top and front being adapted to be folded upon said back, the frame disposed at the front of said base having openings therein, closures for said openings, and means carried by said frame adapted to be moved in the path of said closures to prevent the removal thereof.

In testimony whereof I have signed my nante to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CARL NEUBEL.

Witnesses RALPH STANLEY,

C. M. BALL, Jr.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

